It makes more economic sense to cure HepC than to treat it so I would argue they made the right choice.
The american insurance companies were screaming murder because they have no way of recovering their upfront cost with people changing insurance companies all the time in the US that's not a issue for the UK and the EU.
American insurance companies were screaming blood murder not because they can't recoup the upfront costs (all insurance companies benefit if HCV is eliminated), but because the cost were all upfront, not spread out over time.
US insurance companies live and die by their yearly budgets since premiums are collected upfront. If some high cost drug comes along that they didn't plan for, they could end up in the red really quick.
The american insurance companies were screaming murder because they have no way of recovering their upfront cost with people changing insurance companies all the time in the US that's not a issue for the UK and the EU.